Welcome! Are you interested in tortoises? If so, we invite you to join our community! Our community is the #1 place for tortoise keepers to talk online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your tortoise and enclosure, and discuss any tortoise topic with other tortoise keepers. Get started today!

Gang, I am fricking NOT BELIEVEING how alert, bright and responsive this little guy is!!!!
This morning, when i came in to feed Nelson and the fish, everybody was down at the turbulent end of the tank. Nelson looked up, saw me down at the quiet end where I feed them. HE RAN ALONG THE GRAVEL LIKE A LITTLE 1 AND 1/2 INCH LONG PUPPY DOWN TO THE QUIETER END and started gobbling his food!!!!!
In 1 week's time this little turtle has 1) adjusted to a totally new environment that is 9 times larger than anything he has ever seen in his little life, 2) adjusted to TOTALLY STRANGE new creatures (cory catfish and guppies) all around him, 3) learned which end the food always appears in and 4) learned that I feed them first thing in the morning.
As if that wasn't enough, he'll be 3 months old on the 10th of this month.
I am TOTALLY impressed and amazed: I have never had a turtle like this!!!!

AAAAND (in case you hadn't guessed) I am TOTALLY IN LOOOOVE!!!!!!

Click to expand...

He certainly is a clever little guy!
And I think he has all of us hooked!

Gang, I am fricking NOT BELIEVEING how alert, bright and responsive this little guy is!!!!
This morning, when i came in to feed Nelson and the fish, everybody was down at the turbulent end of the tank. Nelson looked up, saw me down at the quiet end where I feed them. HE RAN ALONG THE GRAVEL LIKE A LITTLE 1 AND 1/2 INCH LONG PUPPY DOWN TO THE QUIETER END and started gobbling his food!!!!!
In 1 week's time this little turtle has 1) adjusted to a totally new environment that is 9 times larger than anything he has ever seen in his little life, 2) adjusted to TOTALLY STRANGE new creatures (cory catfish and guppies) all around him, 3) learned which end the food always appears in and 4) learned that I feed them first thing in the morning.
As if that wasn't enough, he'll be 3 months old on the 10th of this month.
I am TOTALLY impressed and amazed: I have never had a turtle like this!!!!

AAAAND (in case you hadn't guessed) I am TOTALLY IN LOOOOVE!!!!!!

Click to expand...

Wow so am I. I have a Sulcata that is already going to grow out of his 20 long tank. I think I would LOVE to get a little guy like yours to add to my tort hobby.
Where did you get him? Not ready yet but I would like to find out more.

Im'm in love with Nelson the devil! My new Sulcata is growing so fast I will need to get a larger environment soon. Think a razorback from Randy is going to be a must!
Thanks for sharing. Im new to the forum.

Im'm in love with Nelson the devil! My new Sulcata is growing so fast I will need to get a larger environment soon. Think a razorback from Randy is going to be a must!
Thanks for sharing. Im new to the forum.

Click to expand...

You can’t go wrong with any animal you get from Randy!️ He’s a member of this forum! His forum name is Shell freak.
Aquatic turtles are very different than Tortoises- have you kept aquatics before?

This clever boy hasn't even been here a week and has quickly figured out where the "dining room" is! Yesterday and today he was up bright and early and in the corner of the tank where I drop the food for him and the cory catfish- I believe I even saw a version of the "Feed Me dance!" He's got a great appetite and had almost gobbled this kibble before I could snap a picture...

I wish I could keep fish with my turtles. I just set my little guys up in a 75g and I put in 20 fancy guppies, gone within minutes. Then I tried 15 zebra danios, gone by the next day. My turtles are Savages
View attachment 268791

Nelson is downright intrepid!!!
I had worried a bit that the turbulence from the powerhead on the under gravel filter was too much for the fish and Nelson to be comfortable. The fish (guppies and corys) put my mind at ease the first day by swimming happily in their little groups into the current and hanging out there, swimming vigorously against it several times.
Nelson had swum directly into the current several times the first day and I see him in that end of the tank, but not as often as I see him in the quieter end- which is where he sleeps and where I put the food.
Today I found him in the turbulent end: sitting in the little gravel valley that the current flow has created. He was just sitting there, rocking gently back and forth as the current pushed him. Clearly not bothered at all, and not afraid of the strong water flow.

Gang, I am fricking NOT BELIEVEING how alert, bright and responsive this little guy is!!!!
This morning, when i came in to feed Nelson and the fish, everybody was down at the turbulent end of the tank. Nelson looked up, saw me down at the quiet end where I feed them. HE RAN ALONG THE GRAVEL LIKE A LITTLE 1 AND 1/2 INCH LONG PUPPY DOWN TO THE QUIETER END and started gobbling his food!!!!!
In 1 week's time this little turtle has 1) adjusted to a totally new environment that is 9 times larger than anything he has ever seen in his little life, 2) adjusted to TOTALLY STRANGE new creatures (cory catfish and guppies) all around him, 3) learned which end the food always appears in and 4) learned that I feed them first thing in the morning.
As if that wasn't enough, he'll be 3 months old on the 10th of this month.
I am TOTALLY impressed and amazed: I have never had a turtle like this!!!!

You can’t go wrong with any animal you get from Randy!️ He’s a member of this forum! His forum name is Shell freak.
Aquatic turtles are very different than Tortoises- have you kept aquatics before?

Click to expand...

Had about 500 gallons of fish and frogs and bred many fish. So I am familiar to a point. But I'm now in my smaller retirement home in South Carolina. My friend in Texas has a Sulcata 5 yrs old . he is huge but has so much personality. My husband surprised me with a hatchling 3 mo. ago. Love it but was not prepared for him. So I am doing all my research now. Bought a 20 gal long aquarium. but he will out grow it. He is only 3 oz now. Have been playing catch up to get his dwelling up to par.
Right after we got Dexter my husband had a massive heart attack and had open heart surgery on the 20th of March.
I've been consumed with getting him better. But now I have a few hours a day I can devote to Dexter.

Had about 500 gallons of fish and frogs and bred many fish. So I am familiar to a point. But I'm now in my smaller retirement home in South Carolina. My friend in Texas has a Sulcata 5 yrs old . he is huge but has so much personality. My husband surprised me with a hatchling 3 mo. ago. Love it but was not prepared for him. So I am doing all my research now. Bought a 20 gal long aquarium. but he will out grow it. He is only 3 oz now. Have been playing catch up to get his dwelling up to par.
Right after we got Dexter my husband had a massive heart attack and had open heart surgery on the 20th of March.
I've been consumed with getting him better. But now I have a few hours a day I can devote to Dexter.

Yes, VERY different from Jacques!
It's been hard not to get totally consumed by Nelson and forget to pay much attention to Jacques.
In all fairness to her, mud turtles are built very differently from the razor back musk: muds have small feet and are poor swimmers (Nelson has big webbed feet and is a good swimmer) and muds are NOT stream-lined to move through the water: they are shaped rather like a potato...CUTE potatoes, but potatoes nonetheless. Nelson's high keel adds to his maneuverability.
So their ability to deal with the hazards of aquatic life are very different, and their personalities go along with that: muds tend to creep around in quiet shallows and climb things to get to the surface for air, whereas the razorback musks can venture farther afield.
And Randy had described Nelson to me as the most active of the hatchlings he had from that bunch.

Click to expand...

Good. I am glad to see this explanation of the difference between the species. I was beginning to suspect you of discrimination based upon sex. Of course, Jacques is just as smart and has just as many turtle rights as Nelson! Ahem.

Good. I am glad to see this explanation of the difference between the species. I was beginning to suspect you of discrimination based upon sex. Of course, Jacques is just as smart and has just as many turtle rights as Nelson! Ahem.

Click to expand...

HAHA!
And, as far as we know, Nelson's name MIGHT have to be changed to Nellie once "his" gender is known for sure!

Had about 500 gallons of fish and frogs and bred many fish. So I am familiar to a point. But I'm now in my smaller retirement home in South Carolina. My friend in Texas has a Sulcata 5 yrs old . he is huge but has so much personality. My husband surprised me with a hatchling 3 mo. ago. Love it but was not prepared for him. So I am doing all my research now. Bought a 20 gal long aquarium. but he will out grow it. He is only 3 oz now. Have been playing catch up to get his dwelling up to par.
Right after we got Dexter my husband had a massive heart attack and had open heart surgery on the 20th of March.
I've been consumed with getting him better. But now I have a few hours a day I can devote to Dexter.

Click to expand...

So sorry you are having such a tough time. I hope it all eases up soon.

I wish I could keep fish with my turtles. I just set my little guys up in a 75g and I put in 20 fancy guppies, gone within minutes. Then I tried 15 zebra danios, gone by the next day. My turtles are Savages
View attachment 268791

Click to expand...

Todd, your turtles are adept swimmers! Maybe they got a little bit of exercise from the mobile meals...

Yes, VERY different from Jacques!
It's been hard not to get totally consumed by Nelson and forget to pay much attention to Jacques.
In all fairness to her, mud turtles are built very differently from the razor back musk: muds have small feet and are poor swimmers (Nelson has big webbed feet and is a good swimmer) and muds are NOT stream-lined to move through the water: they are shaped rather like a potato...CUTE potatoes, but potatoes nonetheless. Nelson's high keel adds to his maneuverability.
So their ability to deal with the hazards of aquatic life are very different, and their personalities go along with that: muds tend to creep around in quiet shallows and climb things to get to the surface for air, whereas the razorback musks can venture farther afield.
And Randy had described Nelson to me as the most active of the hatchlings he had from that bunch.

Todd, your turtles are adept swimmers! Maybe they got a little bit of exercise from the mobile meals...

Click to expand...

Buy cheap guppies and put a lot of floating seaweed real not plastic. I always bought as many pregnant ones as I could. The nits (babies) can hide and breed. We always kept a small breeding tank just to resupply. I had african water frogs and they were voracious but so fun to watch.
Amuse your torts

Gang, I am fricking NOT BELIEVEING how alert, bright and responsive this little guy is!!!!
This morning, when i came in to feed Nelson and the fish, everybody was down at the turbulent end of the tank. Nelson looked up, saw me down at the quiet end where I feed them. HE RAN ALONG THE GRAVEL LIKE A LITTLE 1 AND 1/2 INCH LONG PUPPY DOWN TO THE QUIETER END and started gobbling his food!!!!!
In 1 week's time this little turtle has 1) adjusted to a totally new environment that is 9 times larger than anything he has ever seen in his little life, 2) adjusted to TOTALLY STRANGE new creatures (cory catfish and guppies) all around him, 3) learned which end the food always appears in and 4) learned that I feed them first thing in the morning.
As if that wasn't enough, he'll be 3 months old on the 10th of this month.
I am TOTALLY impressed and amazed: I have never had a turtle like this!!!!

Useful Searches

About Us

Tortoise Forum is a community of pet tortoise enthusiasts. We aim to provide a free resource to tortoise keepers around the world. On these pages you will find discussions on any and all topics relating to pet tortoises (and even turtles)! Thank you for visiting our site and joining our community.